Next year, Trek will offer its popular women’s trail bike, the Lush, with 29-inch wheels, making it one of the first full-suspension niners designed just for the ladies. The new model is constructed from Trek’s lightweight Alpha Platinum alloy, and uses the company’s proven ABP suspension that delivers 110mm of rear-wheel travel. The mid-priced bike comes in two models, but we prefer the slightly pricier $3,050 Lush SL because it comes with excellent Fox-made DRCV front and rear shocks. Both models come packed with features that are often found only on higher priced models. The cables are internally routed, they use press-fit bottom brackets and there’s even cable routing for a dropper post. The Lush 29 will come in four sizes—from 14 inches to 18.5 inches.

Why It’s Cool: A lighter, stiffer version of Pivot’s popular trail bike.

By going to carbon, the very good Pivot Mach 429 becomes great. Notably, the new frame is lighter and stiffer—Pivot owner Chris Cocalis claims it’s 12 percent more rigid and .375 pounds lighter. Pivot also made subtle but important tweaks to the bike’s geometry. Designers relaxed the head tube by .3 degrees and lowered the bottom bracket by 1 inch. Even more significantly, Pivot trimmed the chainstays from 18 inches to 17.65 inches. The Mach 429 Carbon also gets slick internal cable routing, ISCG 05 chainguide tabs and dropper-post guides. The bike should be available this month. Frames will run $2,800 and complete bikes will start at about $4,400.

Built around a stiff, lightweight carbon frame (5.3 pounds, with shock) with 135mm of travel, the Tallboy LTc is one of the better-handling long-travel 29ers we’ve tested. The bike tracked predictably down descents strewn with rocks and ripped through technical sections. More surprising, it flew up climbs and accelerated with snap on rolling singletrack. In addition to boosting travel, the LT receives a 142mm rear thru-axle, ISGG 05 tabs, and routing for a dropper post. Santa Cruz also increased stiffness in the rear triangle, while leaving enough clearance for wider tires. Like the standard Tallboy, the LT carbon features a remarkably short head tube (3.9 inches on a large frame), which keeps the bars nice and low. The carbon frame runs $2,700 with complete bikes beginning at $4,400. An aluminum frame can be had for about $2,000.

Niner overhauled its popular Rip 9 this summer, giving the bike a new carbon frame and other high-performance upgrades. Instead of cartridge bearings, the 125mm-travel 29er uses Enduro black oxide headset bearings in all three main pivots, similar to those used by GT on its iDrive bikes. Geometry is similar to the 2012 model, but the chainstays have been trimmed 5mm to 450mm (17.7 inches). The bike also features a trick internal-cable-routing system, tapered headtube, 142x12 Maxle rear axle and a removable ISCG 05 chainguide. Niner has yet to release weights, but expects the frame to come in under six pounds. The frame will sell for $2,900, or for $3,550 with a matching rally blue RockShox Revelation. Complete builds will also be available.

Why It’s Cool: It comes with the same parts Hans Rey rides on his personal bikes

Demand for short-travel bikes with 26-inch wheels is shrinking now that 29ers and 27.5-inch models are surging in popularity. But GT hopes to win over some 26-inch stalwarts with this limited-edition number. The Zaskar 100 Hans Rey is built around a carbon frame with 100mm of rear-wheel travel. But GT adorned it with the same top-shelf parts Hans uses: A full Shimano XT drivetrain, Crankbrothers Kronolog dropper post and Cobalt 2 wheels. They even slip on some Ergon grips. At $6,100 the bike ain’t cheap. But it’s a high-performance model with a custom paint job that is worthy of one of the world’s most demanding riders.

Despite the popularity of bikes with 29-inch wheels, and the excitement over 27.5-inch models, Specialized stuck with 26-inch hoops on the 2013 Enduro. But that’s about the only similarity this redesigned model has with previous versions. The 2013 edition has been updated to climb better—with an eye toward the growing popularity of enduro racing. The bike still features a distinctive X-wing frame shape, but its rear shock now pivots on bearings rather than DU bushings for smoother action. The top-of-the-line S-Works version uses a carbon front triangle and alloy swingarm. Cane Creek’s Double Barrel shock delivers 165mm of rear-wheel travel, while the Fox TALAS 34 fork has 160mm of front suspension. The bike also comes with SRAM’s XX1 drivetrain (with both 32 and 34t chainrings) and Avid XO trail brakes. Meant to conquer any terrain, the $8,000 bike comes with a Specialized Command dropper post, ISCG05 tabs, and a 142x12 rear axle.

Two years ago, Cannondale unveiled the innovative Jekyll, a bike with travel that could be reduced from 150mm to 90mm with the flick of a handlebar-mounted remote. That versatility, mated with a stiff, lightweight frame, made it one of the top all-mountain bikes available. Now, Cannondale has brought the same travel-swapping tech to the Trigger 29, a lightweight bike focused on trail and XC riders. Travel can be reduced from 130mm to 80mm, thanks to the Fox DYAD rear shock. The Trigger will come in three build kits (as well as a 26-inch version) ranging from $3,000 to $5,000, and the top-end 29er comes with the redesigned Lefty fork that is lighter, stiffer and smoother than its predecessors.

The Burner 27.5 uses the proven DW-Link suspension system to deliver 140mm of bump-absorbing travel. It pedals crisply, yet remains smooth and supple over rough terrain. While company founder David Turner was initially resistant to 29-inch wheels, he has embraced the 27.5 standard, and the Burner is one of the best bikes of the breed. With a 67-degree head angle, the bike is relatively maneuverable, but steady on steep descents. The revamped Burner comes with 142x12mm rear thru-axle, ISCG 05 tabs and a 44mm headtube that is compatible with tapered steerers. The new model will be available in December and sold as a frame only ($2,300) or as a complete bike (prices range from $5,580 to $8,000 with Enve carbon wheels).

Why It’s Cool: It comes with a great suspension system at a reasonable price

Giant’s flagship bike, the Trance X, gets a 29er makeover for 2013. While the wheels are new, the model relies on the same proven dual-link Maestro suspension as its predecessor. The design delivers a smooth and predictable ride that feels supple on small bumps, but also soaks up larger hits without flinching. Despite the 5 inches of travel, the $4,250 Trance X climbs remarkably well, offering a smooth pedaling platform that still delivers rear-wheel traction when needed. Giant claims the aluminum frame weighs 5.9 pounds with shock, which helps explain the Trance’s uphill prowess. While Giant has traditionally favored long chainstays because they offer more stability, engineers found a happy medium on this bike—the lower stays measure 17.8 inches—that creates a steady but still snappy ride. Not every long-travel 29er offers balanced handling, but this one gets it right.

Why It’s Cool: A lightweight 29er that reduces front and rear travel with the press of a button

The 2013 Genius trail bike has little in common with previous versions. Most notably, Scott kicked the 26-inch wheels to the curb. The revamped model comes in two versions: The 700 has 150mm of travel and 27.5-inch wheels, and the 900 has 130mm of travel and is built around 29er wheels. The bike still has adjustable geometry, but the frame is lighter and sleeker than past versions, weighing about 5 pounds with shock. Scott ditched the old pull shock and now uses a new DT model that weighs 200 grams less. A Twin-Loc handlebar remote lets riders choose between two travel settings, or a completely locked out mode. Up front, the 900 comes with a Fox 34 fork, with travel that can be reduced from 150 to 120mm. It has a tapered headtube, internal cable routing, integrated chain catcher and ISCG-05 tabs. The bike has 17.7-inch-long chainstays and a 69-degree head tube that increases to 69.5 degrees in the trail setting. That technology doesn’t come cheap though. The Genius 900 SL comes with an $8,850 sticker price, but lower-cost versions are also available.

Most fatback bikes are built for one thing—getting riders across snow or sand. In that regard, they’re effective. But not many are fun to ride. They’re heavy and slow turning. The Beargrease is different. The racy model weighs 28.5 pounds complete—that’s 5 pounds less than the brand’s Mukluk 2. The bike’s aluminum frame is mated to an aluminum fork with tapered steerer. It’s driven by a custom E-13 crank and corrosion-resistant, zinc-coated KMC chain. Expect to see the bike in specialty shops this winter. Complete bikes run about $3,000 while framesets cost a cool grand.

The 2013 version of this race rocket from Trek loses nearly a pound from the frame. In addition, the new model sees a 10mm reduction in travel to 100mm and the suspension was tuned for a firmer feel with a more progressive stroke—similar to Trek’s 26-inch race bike, the Top Fuel. Trek engineers raised the bottom bracket 5mm for more clearance and slackened the head angle by 1 degree. Despite losing a pound, the frame is slightly stiffer than the current model, Trek claims. Prices for the carbon-frame Superfly 100 SL start at $3,890 and top out at $9,030 for the 21.4-pound Pro model.

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